HOME OFFICE TREATMENT OF DARFUR ASYLUM SEEKERS

Early day motion 2359, tabled 28 October 2008 by David Drew (Labour). Signed by 50 members.

That this House believes recent events in Sudan, including the Justice for Equality Movement attack of 10th May 2008 on Khartoum, have led to a drastic change in circumstances and have reinforced the need for Darfuris to be protected from persecution; notes the September 2008 report by the UN Special Rapporteur on Sudan, Sima Samar, in which she warns that at least 500 civilians are still in National Intelligence and Security Services detention and that most are thought to have been arrested on grounds of their Darfurian ethnicity; further notes concerns raised by human rights group Waging Peace regarding severe breaches of law and procedure which occurred during re-documentation interviews of Darfuri asylum seekers by a Sudanese official in Home Office facilities in March and April 2007; expresses concern at the one-year delay for a Home Office response to the report; expresses concern at reports that Home Office officials have recently encouraged Darfuri asylum seekers to sign voluntary return forms without the presence of interpreters; welcomes the upcoming guidance case in November in which returns to Khartoum of individuals of Darfurian origin will be reassessed; urges the Home Office to acknowledge the growing evidence of targeting and persecution of Darfuris in Khartoum; and requests that the Home Office engage as a matter of urgency with the Home Affairs Select Committee and Waging Peace in order to address remaining questions regarding the re-documentation interviews of Darfuri asylum seekers.

Signatures by party: Labour 27, Liberal Democrat 16, Conservative 3, Social Democratic and Labour Party 2, Independent 1, Plaid Cymru 1.